'Vital Signs' study to examine well-being of Nashville area

Sep. 5, 2013

Christine Karbowiak

Written by

Josh Brown

The Tennessean

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce announces today it is conducting an extensive economic study of the Nashville area in a bid to identify problems facing the region and opportunities for improvement.

The chamber’s researchers are examining the Nashville area’s economy, workforce and quality of life. The study also will look at ways communities depend on one another.

“This report will shine a light on the critical opportunities and needs in our region,” Ralph Schulz, the chamber’s president and CEO, said in a news release. “We expect to find many areas where we are excelling, as well as issues that present opportunity for improvement.”

The study, which is called “Vital Signs,” is modeled on a project in Toronto, which in 2001 began examining economic and social data to get a sense of that region’s well-being.

After a visit to the city in 2011, chamber leaders began laying groundwork for their own version of the report, said Michelle Lacewell, a spokeswoman for the business group. The chamber is partnering with the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and The Tennessean on the study.

That model for examining the health of the region has been adopted by cities throughout Canada and in Europe and Brazil. Community groups in Erie, Pa., conducted a similar study.

Last year, Toronto’s 240-page report delved into the city’s population, examining its residents’ ages, education and health. Other topics included a look at immigration, income levels, the gap between rich and poor, transportation and the environment. The report also studied the city’s arts and culture scene.

The chamber plans to release the results from its study Oct. 1, after which a committee of community leaders will try to find solutions to address the weaknesses and opportunities discovered.

Christine Karbowiak, a vice president at Bridge­stone Americas Inc., will chair that committee. “There’s a tremendous amount of competition in the U.S. and within various regions for talent,” she said. “When Bridgestone Americas is looking to invest, to expand, we want to make sure we’re investing in a region, in an area that is robust, that has a great quality of life, that has tremendous workforce talent available.”